A research grant is requested for the support of a social-anthropological field investigation of old age in northern India, in rural and urban settings. The focus of the research is on the cultural and social contexts within which successful adaptation to the demands and stresses of later life in India is realized. The study will investigate questions of the definition and evaluation of old age, status and role participation and intergenerational relations of old people in rural and urban areas, and the changing position of the aged under the impact of urbanization.